Customer Reviews

Richard Stark's Parker, Vol. 1: The Hunter

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Parker: The Hunter"
Written by Richard Stark
Adapted by Darwyn Cooke
(IDW, 2009)
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Wow. I'm already a fan of comicbook artist Darwyn Cooke (wish he had more books out!) but I gotta say, this adaptation of a gritty noir novel by author Richard Stark really floored me. The first chapter of the book is told almost entirely without words, transforming the taut, cynical prose into pure imagery, as we are introduced to the book's steely, taciturn, utterly immoral antihero -- Parker -- who counterfeits and backstabs his way through the recesses of New York City, circa 1962, hellbent on revenge. It's a real tour-de-force of visual storytelling, but even when the text kicks in, the book never feels cluttered. From start to finish, this graphic novel is a real page-turner... Hopefully there'll be a follow-up soon! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

Darwyn Cooke is a modern master of graphic storytelling , just one look at his Eisner awarded works and you know why ...and thats why its no small thing for me to honestly say that The Hunter is one of the finest works of his career.
If you are a Richard Stark fan, this is a fantastic addition and homage to the man's work on every level.
It's a hit from page one and will turn anyone not into graphic art or the crime genre right into an instant fan.

Beautifully adapted version of the classic Richard Stark thriller, "The Hunter", the first in the long-running crime novel series featuring the hardnosed professional thief known simply as "Parker". Darwyn Cooke's detailed art- stylish yet gritty- and the dark prose- mostly sparse, sometimes dense, always sharp- draws the reader right in as Parker undertakes his visceral, often shocking mission of revenge following a doublecross that left him for dead. This is the first of a proposed series of illustrated adaptations, with Mr. Cooke cherry picking his favorite installments from the "Parker" novels and adapting them into handsomely-produced hardback graphic novels of generous length (this one's about 170 pages). After reading this graphic novel, readers may be tempted to immediately pick up the prose novels featuring Parker's next adventures (recently reprinted in new editions) instead of waiting for Mr. Cooke's next adaptation. Do yourself a favor: get both.

Richard Stark's Parker hit you like a shot gun blast decades ago. Darwyn Cooke's illustrated version finished you off. Your dead.

Cooke's take on the classic two fisted tale of Parker is marvelous! Rarely has the written word been translated so perfectly in this genre. Parker's thirst for revenge is papable, sweaty, and ugly...and you better not turn away! As a long time fan of Cooke's, I had no doubt he was up to the task of depicting Stark's mayhem machine but... wow... this easily surpassed my expectations. The cold blooded black and white artwork is like a sledge hammer on your sleep walking jaw; it's jarring!

If you love the genre, the character, the artist, then come along for the ride...just try not to get blood and bone in your eyes!

This adaptation of Richard Stark's hard-boiled novel is, in my opinion, not worthy of all the accolades that it has received both here and everywhere else within the comic book community.

The story: The story itself(which has had several somewhat loose movie adaptations, i.e. "Payback" with Mel Gibson) is just okay. In fact, I liked the Mel Gibson movie better. If this graphic novel version is any indication of what the actual novel is like, then I'd have to say that the novel is just okay too. But this review is of the Darwyn Cooke graphic novel, so I can only speak to that. The story isn't bad, but the whole thing gets rather boring and one-dimensional as it progresses. It's a masculine-rich tale riddled with real 'badass' character moments. Very tough-guy stuff here. The characters are interesting in a way, but are(for the most part) lacking any real depth. There are a few glimpses of complexity in regards to the layers of the characters' emotions, but they are thin at best. The whole story feels like it hits only one monotonous note, despite the few half-way unexpected turns it takes. I think the story does have some cool elements to it; I just think it could have been communicated in a more interesting fashion. Uninteresting is usually not a term I would apply to the storytelling of Cooke, who created one of my favorite superhero comics of all-time, "DC: The New Frontier"(which you should really check out if you haven't already). I just found myself on autopilot, sleepwalking through this rather short(another downside to this book) revenge story. Definitely not on par with Cooke's usual writing.

The art: The art is the real saving grace when it comes to this graphic novel. The minimalist, retro, comic strip-like style of Cooke really captures the 60s era in which this story takes place rather well. I've always loved his artwork, from "DC: The New Frontier" to "The Spirit"(both of which, however, are more detailed than this book). I am only 33 years old, yet when I look at his artwork I get a warm, nostalgic feeling. This doesn't make sense, having not been around in the 60s. I get that feeling never-the-less. I don't know what that means, but I know I like it. And that is really all that matters. The two-tone coloring job he uses here fits nicely with the stark(no pun intended) characters and story. But it still doesn't rescue the lack of interest and involvement I felt while reading the book.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of Darwyn Cooke's, as I am, then you might wanna pick this up. My hardcover is nicely packaged and makes for a nice addition to my library of Cooke material. Even if you don't have any Cooke books, it's still of high quality and looks nice on anyone's bookshelf, fan of Cooke's or not. But I can only rate it as average due to the story, and would skip it and watch "Payback" if you want a more entertaining telling of what is close to the same story presented here. 3 stars. Let's hope the next installment is better.

Darwyn Cooke has put together something really special with Parker: The Hunter. The hardcover edition is absolutely beautiful. The pages are thick and heavy and Darwyn's art jumps off the page at you. I'm a big fan of crime fiction/noir comics, and this is one of the better ones I've read since Brubaker's Criminal.

The tone is dark as Parker tracks down thug after thug who has wronged him. Cooke utilizes mostly whites, blues, an blacks for all of the art to help you feel the mindset of a man who is out to get his money back and will stop at nothing to do so. The cover is full color and completely stunning.

I was unfamiliar with Richard Stark prior to this book. After reading which movies that his books had spawned, I started to get an appreciation for the man realizing that I really like those movies, so I'm anxious to check out his prose versions somewhere down the line, though I've heard that Darwyn will adapt another Parker story to be released in mid-2010.

Though over 100 pages, this book is fast paced and action packed, spurred on by Cooke not using traditional frames within the book, leaving each panel open as a fluid transition into the next. I would have loved for it to take longer to read, but truth be told, I just couldn't put it down. Before I knew it, I was on the fourth chapter, nearing the climax and I forced myself to set it down for the night, though I finished it immediately the following morning. If you're a fan of Brubaker or Bendis's crime work, this ranks right up there with the best.

Darwyn Cooke is one of those special talents who can write (or in this case adapt) a comic and do all of the art for it. It's obvious that he put a lot of heart into this adaptation and greatly respects Richard Stark. Always a pleasure to read a book from someone who has so much love for sequential storytelling.

If you've seen and liked the movie Payback starring Mel Gibson, but still think comic books are for kids. Well think again!

The Hunter is an adaption of the original Richard Stark novel, done by one of my favorite comic book creators, Darwyn Cooke. The noir genre fits him as a glove and the 50s look is just what this story needs. I can't wait for the next installment.

If you have read this book and want more by Darwyn Cooke, look at his CatWoman and Batman stuff, or dive into the New Frontier. And before you know it, you'll never look at comic books the same way.

Parker, the professional criminal created by Richard Stark (pseudonym of late mystery writer Donald Westlake), is enjoying a resurgence.

Last year, the prestigious University of Chicago Press began reissuing early novels in the series. Now comes "Parker: The Hunter," a comic-book adaptation of the book that first inflicted Parker on an unsuspecting world. The graphic novel is adapted and drawn by Eisner-award winner Darwyn Cooke, best known for a nostalgic version of 1950s Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman called "The New Frontier."

For "The Hunter," Cooke takes off the rose-colored glasses to render a gritty New York City in 1962. Parker, newly escaped from prison, blows into Manhattan seeking the two people who double-crossed him. In short order, one of the two is dead.

Half the fun of Parker is watching him at work and predicting what he will do and feel next. This should be easy -- he is incredibly amoral -- but isn't. He has no qualms about orchestrating a munitions heist that will put weapons in the hands of South American rebels, but later shows remorse when a beautician he has mouth-gagged aspirates and dies.

Cooke opens the adaptation with a lengthy, almost entirely wordless sequence that shows Parker as the elemental creature he is -- lumbering across the George Washington Bridge, attracting and simultaneously repulsing women drivers, forging a driver's license by hand (ah, the pre-computer days!), and scamming his way into a new suit.

Later, when Cooke fills in Parker's background, the reader may reflect fondly on the wordless tour de force of those opening pages. Slavishly following Stark's plot, Cooke fills the pages with words, almost obliterating the art. The font is difficult to read in large chunks; Cooke's handwritten u's and y's both look like n's, especially when printed in a size slightly smaller than the average comic book.

But another action sequence at the end of the story redeems the adaptation, and Cooke's art -- rendered in black and muted blues, a bruised color palette for a wounded world -- is stunning throughout.

This is the first in a series of graphic-novel adaptations of the Parker series. The second volume is due next summer, as the Parker renaissance continues. In a world of high-rolling, million-dollar corporate thieves, there is something appealing about a guy who commits crime the old-fashioned way, with a gun.

Cooke's art is just so evocative that I find myself wanting to buy another copy of this book so I can slice out some pages and frame them. Even though the story itself is familiar (you may remember Mel Gibson's Payback which is an adaptation of the same story by Richard Stark), Cooke's adaptation had me eagerly turning each page.

Seriously, if you like noir, buy this book. If you like comics like 100 Bullets, buy this book. If you like bold, period stylistic art, buy this book.

Just buy this book!

Darwyn Cooke blows us away with another modern masterpiece, but this time he combines his outstanding writing talents with that of Richard Stark to create a brilliant adaptation of the First Parker novel.
Cooke keeps every detail of Stark's original novel but everything is still very fresh thanks to his sense of pacing and flowing art style. Cooke's deceptively simple inkwork, coupled with the duo tone color scheme are so appropriate for the story and you have to stop and admire all the details and wonderfully desgined settings and characters as you read through.

This edition is very beatifully designed. The cover graphics are excellent; the book design, from the inside cover's wonderfully retro pattern, to the matt paper and text fonts, are meticulously thought out. I wish Cooke was hired to desgin the current reprints of the Parker novels from University of Chicago press, which are very bland; he'd make them fly off the shelf.
This is the first of four planned graphic novels from Mr. Cooke, so I wish him and IDW the greatest success with this project so we can see these volumes appear in the future, and who knows, maybe we'll see more adaptations of Stark's work afterwords.

If you are a fan of the books, then you will have the added benefiet of reading Stark's writing again with some fantastic artwork, and if you have never read a Stark book, you can read this edition and not worry about missing a detail from the original source material. Put this one on the must read list.